Car-coupling



(No Model.)

F. T. MGKENNBY.

A GAR (mUPLINGr.l No. 361,437. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

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@Mkt/naam@ y v jm @4416,06 Z222@ Zwem/22, i A Y e1/Ho l Maw/WMC@ 1d L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.FRANCIS T. MCKENNEY, FALMOUTH, KENTUCKY.

CAR-COUPLING.

'. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,437, dated April 19., 1887.

Application filed February 23, 1887. Serial No 228,602. ,(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

i Be it known that I, FRANCIS T. MGKEN- NEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Falmouth, in the county of Pendleton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a cheap and simple means for coupling and uncoupling railway cars, the same being designed to avoid the objectionable necessity of going between the meeting cars, and to facilitate the climbing or unclimbing of the same to perform such operations. v

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in wl1ich Figure l is a view of a portion yof an ordinary freight-car, showing my invention applied; and Fig. 2 is a front view of a similar car, showing my improvements attached.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indicates a portion of an ordinary freight-car commonly known as a box-car, and AB is the front vertical wall thereo C is a draw-head, which may be ofauy ordinary or approved construction, and D is the usual coupling-pin.

E indicates avertical frame, which is shown as composed of standards supportingahorizontal top, F, which is slotted, as indicated at a, for the passage and movement of the handlever. This hand-lever G Vis pivoted at its lower end in the platform of the car, as shown, and its upper end extends up within convenient reach from the top of the car. I have shown this lever 4as being provided with an angular foot, the purpose of which will be presently explained.

H indicates a horizontal roller, which is journaled at opposite ends in the standards b b, and its longitudinal plane is transverse with relation to the car A. This roller is provided with an annular groove, c, which is designed to receive the lifting-cord of the coupling-pin and guide the same in its movements. This groove c should approximately coincide in a vertical plane with the eye inthe draw-head, so that the pin might enter thc same should it be withdrawn during use.

It should be here stated that in applying my improvements to a car the slot a and the lifting-chain d are of such length with rela-- tion to each other that when the hand-lever has been thrown rearwardly it will engage the rear end wall of the slot before the pin has been drawn entirely out of the eye in the draw-head, and in some cases the lower end of the pin may be provided with a stop to prevent the same from leaving the said eye. The lifting-cord, after passing from t-he pin over the groove in the roller, is secured to the hand-lever, as shown. Thus it will loe seen that any person on the roof of the car may withdraw and replace the pin in the drawhead, and thereby effect a coupling and uncoupling of the cars by simply manipulating the hand-lever. In order that a similar result might be attained by an attendant while standing on the ground, and without going between the cars, I have provided the handcords orpull-cords I I. These cords are respectively attached at one end to the lever,

as indicated at e, and after passing through an eye, K, in the front wall of the car are carried laterally in opposite directions through suitable guides, so that vthey may be pulled by a person while standing at the side of the car.

Should the hand-lever become broken or injured by striking the walls of the slot, or injured through any othercause, it will be seen that the angular foot before mentioned will serve to prevent the same from falling forward and impairing its usefulness to an inoperative extent.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim is l. The combination, with a railwaycar and the frame mounted on its platform, as described, and having the slot in itstop, of the grooved roller, the-pivoted hand-lever, the lifting-cord connecting the pin with the handlever and passing over the groove in the roller, and the cords leading from the said lever through guides to the opposite sides of che leading through gnidestothecar,substantially car, substantially as specified. I as specified. lo 2. In a device for Coupling and uneonpling In testimony whereof I aix my signature in ears, the combination, with a vertical pivoted presence of two Witnesses. 5 lever having an angular foot or stop on its FRANCIS T. MCKENNEY.

forward side, as set forth, a. horizontallyai "Witnesses: ranged friotioirroiler, a. cord connecting the J. K. vVANDELO1IR,

conpling-pin with the lever, and pull-cords GEO. F. HENRY. 

